Wiring harness for an aerial vehicle

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for a wiring harness for an aerial vehicle. A wing of the aerial vehicle comprises a pocket for insertion of the wiring harness. The wiring harness provides wiring and associated connections capable to attach to and power various components.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of, and claims priority to,U.S. application Ser. No. 14/143,543, filed Dec. 30, 2013, which ishereby incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in thissection are not prior art to the claims in this application and are notadmitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Wind is a source of renewable energy. Traditionally, wind energy hasbeen used to tow watercraft or land craft via use of a sail. However,the sail is typically located close to the earth surface and does nottake advantage of the stronger wind at higher altitudes. Aerial vehiclesmay be used to extract power from wind at such higher altitudes to turna generator. Such aerial vehicles comprise one or more wings withcircuitry to communicate power to various components.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods for providing a wiring harness for an aerial vehicleare described herein. Embodiments described herein provide wiring topower components on a harness that is attached to a wing of an aerialvehicle. By removing the need to form holes or the like through thewing's protective outer layer to provide such wiring, such a harness maymaintain a wing's integrity and thus prolong the useful life of thewing.

In one example embodiment, a wiring harness attachable to a wing of anaerial vehicle is provided. The wiring harness comprises a body, one ormore wires embedded into a cable in the body, and one or more connectorsin communication with the one or more wires and partially embedded inthe body. The connectors may be attached to pylons and/or variouscomponents to power the components.

In another example embodiment, a system may be provided that comprisesan aerial vehicle with a wing and a wiring harness attached to the wing.The wing may include a pocket for insertion of the wiring harness. Thepocket may be formed as a recessed section of the wing.

In one aspect, a method may involve manufacturing such a wiring harness.The method may include stripping an insulating layer from a segment ofone or more wires, attaching the stripped segment of the one or morewires to a connector, forming a protective layer over a portion of theconnector, molding a harness body around the one or more wires and theconnector, and removing the protective layer to leave the portion of theconnector exposed.

These as well as other aspects, advantages, and alternatives, willbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading thefollowing detailed description, with reference where appropriate to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts an Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT), according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of an AWT,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of a wing with a wiring harness,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4a depicts a detailed view of the wiring harness of FIG. 3,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4b depicts a cross-sectional view of a junction of a wiringharness, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4c depicts a cross-sectional top view of a connector of the wiringharness, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4d depicts a side view of the connector of FIG. 4c , according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 4e depicts a front view of the connector of FIG. 4c , according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 5 depicts a system for providing power to a component, according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a method of manufacturing a wiring harness, according to anexample embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary methods and systems are described herein. It should beunderstood that the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving asan example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or featuredescribed herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily tobe construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments orfeatures. More generally, the embodiments described herein are not meantto be limiting. It will be readily understood that certain aspects ofthe disclosed methods systems and can be arranged and combined in a widevariety of different configurations, all of which are contemplatedherein.

I. Overview

Illustrative embodiments relate to aerial vehicles, which may be used ina wind energy system, such as an Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT). Inparticular, illustrative embodiments may relate to or take the form of awiring harness that is attachable to an aerial vehicle.

By way of background, an AWT may include an aerial vehicle that flies ina path, such as a substantially circular path, to convert kinetic windenergy to electrical energy. In an illustrative implementation, theaerial vehicle may be connected to a ground station via a tether. Whiletethered, the aerial vehicle can: (i) fly at a range of elevations andsubstantially along the path, and return to the ground, and (ii)transmit electrical energy to the ground station via the tether. (Insome implementations, the ground station may transmit electricity to theaerial vehicle for take-off and/or landing.)

In an AWT, an aerial vehicle may rest in and/or on a ground station (orperch) when the wind is not conducive to power generation. When the windis conducive to power generation, such as when a wind speed may be 3.5meters per second (m/s) at an altitude of 200 meters (m), the groundstation may deploy (or launch) the aerial vehicle. In addition, when theaerial vehicle is deployed and the wind is not conducive to powergeneration, the aerial vehicle may return to the ground station.

AWTs have similarities with both aircraft and wind turbines. Like anaircraft, AWTs have significant wiring requirements. Yet AWTs also mustoperate in similar a material fatigue environment to wind turbines.Thus, although aircraft typically have holes in a wing to installwiring, such holes may be susceptible to the high fatigue environment,causing material fatigue.

To protect the integrity of the wing, holes in an AWT wing typicallyhave seals over each hole or laminate the wires into the wingpermanently. However, these options are not as good a maintaining anon-holed, sealed, or near-sealed wing structure. Embodiments describedherein relate to providing a wiring harness for a wing of an AWT thatcan operate in a high material fatigue environment and that do notrequire holes in the wing. For instance, some implementations mayinvolve a wiring harness with embedded wires, such as conductors andfiber-optic lines, attaching to a pocket in a wing to provide therequired circuitry without requiring holes in the wing.

II. Illustrative Systems

A. Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT)

FIG. 1 depicts an AWT 100, according to an example embodiment. Inparticular, the AWT 100 includes a ground station 110, a tether 120, andan aerial vehicle 130. As shown in FIG. 1, the aerial vehicle 130 may beconnected to the tether 120, and the tether 120 may be connected to theground station 110. In this example, the tether 120 may be attached tothe ground station 110 at one location on the ground station 110, andattached to the aerial vehicle 130 at two locations on the aerialvehicle 130. However, in other examples, the tether 120 may be attachedat multiple locations to any part of the ground station 110 and/or theaerial vehicle 130.

The ground station 110 may be used to hold and/or support the aerialvehicle 130 until it is in an operational mode. The ground station 110may also be configured to allow for the repositioning of the aerialvehicle 130 such that deploying of the device is possible. Further, theground station 110 may be further configured to receive the aerialvehicle 130 during a landing. The ground station 110 may be formed ofany material that can suitably keep the aerial vehicle 130 attachedand/or anchored to the ground while in hover flight, forward flight,crosswind flight. In some implementations, the ground station 110 may beconfigured for use on land. In further implementations, the groundstation may be configured for use on a body of water and may beconfigured as, or used in conjunction with, a floating off-shoreplatform or a boat, for example.

In addition, the ground station 110 may include one or more components(not shown), such as a winch, that may vary a length of the tether 120.For example, when the aerial vehicle 130 is deployed, the one or morecomponents may be configured to pay out and/or reel out the tether 120.In some implementations, the one or more components may be configured topay out and/or reel out the tether 120 to a predetermined length. Asexamples, the predetermined length could be equal to or less than amaximum length of the tether 120. Further, when the aerial vehicle 130lands in the ground station 110, the one or more components may beconfigured to reel in the tether 120.

The tether 120 may transmit electrical energy generated by the aerialvehicle 130 to the ground station 110. In addition, the tether 120 maytransmit electricity to the aerial vehicle 130 in order to power theaerial vehicle 130 for takeoff, landing, hover flight, and/or forwardflight. The tether 120 may be constructed in any form and using anymaterial which may allow for the transmission, delivery, and/orharnessing of electrical energy generated by the aerial vehicle 130and/or transmission of electricity to the aerial vehicle 130. The tether120 may also be configured to withstand one or more forces of the aerialvehicle 130 when the aerial vehicle 130 is in an operational mode. Forexample, the tether 120 may include a core configured to withstand oneor more forces of the aerial vehicle 130 when the aerial vehicle 130 isin hover flight, forward flight, and/or crosswind flight. The core maybe constructed of any high strength fibers. In some examples, the tether120 may have a fixed length and/or a variable length. For instance, inat least one such example, the tether 120 may have a length of 140meters. The tether may be a faired tether comprising a wing shapedcross-section or may comprise a circular cross-section.

The aerial vehicle 130 may be configured to fly substantially along apath 150 to generate electrical energy. The term “substantially along,”as used in this disclosure, refers to exactly along and/or one or moredeviations from exactly along that do not significantly impactgeneration of electrical energy as described herein and/or transitioningan aerial vehicle between certain flight modes as described herein.

The aerial vehicle 130 may include or take the form of various types ofdevices, such as a kite, a helicopter, a wing and/or an airplane, amongother possibilities. The aerial vehicle 130 may be formed of solidstructures of metal, plastic and/or other polymers. The aerial vehicle130 may be formed of any material which allows for a highthrust-to-weight ratio and generation of electrical energy which may beused in utility applications. Additionally, the materials may be chosento allow for a lightning hardened, redundant and/or fault tolerantdesign which may be capable of handling large and/or sudden shifts inwind speed and wind direction. Other materials may be possible as well.

The path 150 may be various different shapes in various differentembodiments. For example, the path 150 may be substantially circular.And in at least one such example, the path 150 may have a radius of upto 265 meters. The term “substantially circular,” as used in thisdisclosure, refers to exactly circular and/or one or more deviationsfrom exactly circular that do not significantly impact generation ofelectrical energy as described herein. Other shapes for the path 150 maybe an oval, such as an ellipse, the shape of a jelly bean, the shape ofthe number of 8, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the aerial vehicle 130 may include a main wing 131,a front section 132, rotor connectors 133A-B, rotors 134A-D, a tail boom135, a tail wing 136, and a vertical stabilizer 137. Any of thesecomponents may be shaped in any form which allows for the use ofcomponents of lift to resist gravity and/or move the aerial vehicle 130forward.

The main wing 131 may provide a primary lift for the aerial vehicle 130.The main wing 131 may be one or more rigid or flexible airfoils, and mayinclude various control surfaces, such as winglets, flaps, rudders,elevators, etc. The control surfaces may be used to stabilize the aerialvehicle 130 and/or reduce drag on the aerial vehicle 130 during hoverflight, forward flight, and/or crosswind flight.

The main wing 131 may be any suitable material for the aerial vehicle130 to engage in hover flight, forward flight, and/or crosswind flight.For example, the main wing 131 may include carbon fiber and/or e-glass.Moreover, the main wing 131 may have a variety dimensions. For example,the main wing 131 may have one or more dimensions that correspond with aconventional wind turbine blade. As another example, the main wing 131may have a span of 8 meters, an area of 4 meters squared, and an aspectratio of 15. The front section 132 may include one or more components,such as a nose, to reduce drag on the aerial vehicle 130 during flight.The main wing 131 may further comprise a pocket or recessed channelportion for insertion of a harness that includes wiring, as will bedescribed below.

The rotor connectors 133A-B may connect the rotors 134A-D to the mainwing 131. In some examples, the rotor connectors 133A-B may take theform of or be similar in form to one or more pylons. In this example,the rotor connectors 133A-B are arranged such that the rotors 134A-D arespaced between the main wing 131. In some examples, a vertical spacingbetween corresponding rotors (e.g., rotor 134A and rotor 134B or rotor134C and rotor 134D) may be 0.9 meters.

The rotors 134A-D may configured to drive one or more generators for thepurpose of generating electrical energy. In this example, the rotors134A-D may each include one or more blades, such as three blades. Theone or more rotor blades may rotate via interactions with the wind andwhich could be used to drive the one or more generators. In addition,the rotors 134A-D may also be configured to provide a thrust to theaerial vehicle 130 during flight. With this arrangement, the rotors134A-D may function as one or more propulsion units, such as apropeller. Although the rotors 134A-D are depicted as four rotors inthis example, in other examples the aerial vehicle 130 may include anynumber of rotors, such as less than four rotors or more than fourrotors.

The tail boom 135 may connect the main wing 131 to the tail wing 136.The tail boom 135 may have a variety of dimensions. For example, thetail boom 135 may have a length of 2 meters. Moreover, in someimplementations, the tail boom 135 could take the form of a body and/orfuselage of the aerial vehicle 130. And in such implementations, thetail boom 135 may carry a payload.

The tail wing 136 and/or the vertical stabilizer 137 may be used tostabilize the aerial vehicle and/or reduce drag on the aerial vehicle130 during hover flight, forward flight, and/or crosswind flight. Forexample, the tail wing 136 and/or the vertical stabilizer 137 may beused to maintain a pitch of the aerial vehicle 130 during hover flight,forward flight, and/or crosswind flight. In this example, the verticalstabilizer 137 is attached to the tail boom 135, and the tail wing 136is located on top of the vertical stabilizer 137. The tail wing 136 mayhave a variety of dimensions. For example, the tail wing 136 may have alength of 2 meters. Moreover, in some examples, the tail wing 136 mayhave a surface area of 0.45 meters squared. Further, in some examples,the tail wing 136 may be located 1 meter above a center of mass of theaerial vehicle 130.

While the aerial vehicle 130 has been described above, it should beunderstood that the methods and systems described herein could involveany suitable aerial vehicle that is connected to a tether, such as thetether 120.

B. Illustrative Components of an AWT

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of the AWT200. The AWT 200 may take the form of or be similar in form to the AWT100. In particular, the AWT 200 includes a ground station 210, a tether220, and an aerial vehicle 230. The ground station 210 may take the formof or be similar in form to the ground station 110, the tether 220 maytake the form of or be similar in form to the tether 120, and the aerialvehicle 230 may take the form of or be similar in form to the aerialvehicle 130.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ground station 210 may include one or moreprocessors 212, data storage 214, and program instructions 216. Aprocessor 212 may be a general-purpose processor or a special purposeprocessor (e.g., digital signal processors, application specificintegrated circuits, etc.). The one or more processors 212 can beconfigured to execute computer-readable program instructions 216 thatare stored in data storage 214 and are executable to provide at leastpart of the functionality described herein.

The data storage 214 may include or take the form of one or morecomputer-readable storage media that may be read or accessed by at leastone processor 212. The one or more computer-readable storage media caninclude volatile and/or non-volatile storage components, such asoptical, magnetic, organic or other memory or disc storage, which may beintegrated in whole or in part with at least one of the one or moreprocessors 212. In some embodiments, the data storage 214 may beimplemented using a single physical device (e.g., one optical, magnetic,organic or other memory or disc storage unit), while in otherembodiments, the data storage 214 can be implemented using two or morephysical devices.

As noted, the data storage 214 may include computer-readable programinstructions 216 and perhaps additional data, such as diagnostic data ofthe ground station 210. As such, the data storage 214 may includeprogram instructions to perform or facilitate some or all of thefunctionality described herein.

In a further respect, the ground station 210 may include a communicationsystem 218. The communications system 218 may include one or morewireless interfaces and/or one or more wireline interfaces, which allowthe ground station 210 to communicate via one or more networks. Suchwireless interfaces may provide for communication under one or morewireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth, WiFi (e.g., an IEEE802.11 protocol), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX (e.g., an IEEE 802.16standard), a radio-frequency ID (RFID) protocol, near-fieldcommunication (NFC), and/or other wireless communication protocols. Suchwireline interfaces may include an Ethernet interface, a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) interface, or similar interface to communicate via awire, a twisted pair of wires, a coaxial cable, an optical link, afiber-optic link, or other physical connection to a wireline network.The ground station 210 may communicate with the aerial vehicle 230,other ground stations, and/or other entities (e.g., a command center)via the communication system 218.

In an example embodiment, the ground station 210 may includecommunication systems 218 that allow for both short-range communicationand long-range communication. For example, the ground station 210 may beconfigured for short-range communications using Bluetooth and forlong-range communications under a CDMA protocol. In such an embodiment,the ground station 210 may be configured to function as a “hot spot”; orin other words, as a gateway or proxy between a remote support device(e.g., the tether 220, the aerial vehicle 230, and other groundstations) and one or more data networks, such as cellular network and/orthe Internet. Configured as such, the ground station 210 may facilitatedata communications that the remote support device would otherwise beunable to perform.

For example, the ground station 210 may provide a WiFi connection to theremote device, and serve as a proxy or gateway to a cellular serviceprovider's data network, which the ground station 210 might connect tounder an LTE or a 3G protocol, for instance. The ground station 210could also serve as a proxy or gateway to other ground stations or acommand station, which the remote device might not be able to otherwiseaccess.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the tether 220 may include transmissioncomponents 222 and a communication link 224. The transmission components222 may be configured to transmit electrical energy from the aerialvehicle 230 to the ground station 210 and/or transmit electrical energyfrom the ground station 210 to the aerial vehicle 230. The transmissioncomponents 222 may take various different forms in various differentembodiments. For example, the transmission components 222 may includeone or more conductors configured to transmit electricity. And in atleast one such example, the one or more conductors may include aluminumand/or any other material which allows for the conduction of electriccurrent. Moreover, in some implementations, the transmission components222 may surround a core of the tether 220 (not shown).

The ground station 210 may communicate with the aerial vehicle 230 viathe communication link 224. The communication link 224 may bebidirectional and may include one or more wired and/or wirelessinterfaces. Also, there could be one or more routers, switches, and/orother devices or networks making up at least a part of the communicationlink 224.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the aerial vehicle 230 may include one ormore sensors 232, a power system 234, power generation/conversioncomponents 236, a communication system 238, one or more processors 242,data storage 244, and program instructions 246, and a control system248.

The sensors 232 could include various different sensors in variousdifferent embodiments. For example, the sensors 232 may include a globala global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS receiver may beconfigured to provide data that is typical of well-known GPS systems(which may be referred to as a global navigation satellite system(GNNS)), such as the GPS coordinates of the aerial vehicle 230. Such GPSdata may be utilized by the AWT 200 to provide various functionsdescribed herein.

As another example, the sensors 232 may include one or more windsensors, such as one or more pitot tubes. The one or more wind sensorsmay be configured to detect apparent and/or relative wind. Such winddata may be utilized by the AWT 200 to provide various functionsdescribed herein.

Still as another example, the sensors 232 may include an inertialmeasurement unit (IMU). The IMU may include both an accelerometer and agyroscope, which may be used together to determine the orientation ofthe aerial vehicle 230. In particular, the accelerometer can measure theorientation of the aerial vehicle 230 with respect to earth, while thegyroscope measures the rate of rotation around an axis, such as acenterline of the aerial vehicle 230. IMUs are commercially available inlow-cost, low-power packages. For instance, the IMU may take the form ofor include a miniaturized MicroElectroMechanical System (MEMS) or aNanoElectroMechanical System (NEMS). Other types of IMUs may also beutilized. The IMU may include other sensors, in addition toaccelerometers and gyroscopes, which may help to better determineposition. Two examples of such sensors are magnetometers and pressuresensors. Other examples are also possible.

While an accelerometer and gyroscope may be effective at determining theorientation of the aerial vehicle 230, slight errors in measurement maycompound over time and result in a more significant error. However, anexample aerial vehicle 230 may be able mitigate or reduce such errors byusing a magnetometer to measure direction. One example of a magnetometeris a low-power, digital 3-axis magnetometer, which may be used torealize an orientation independent electronic compass for accurateheading information. However, other types of magnetometers may beutilized as well.

The aerial vehicle 230 may also include a pressure sensor or barometer,which can be used to determine the altitude of the aerial vehicle 230.Alternatively, other sensors, such as sonic altimeters or radaraltimeters, can be used to provide an indication of altitude, which mayhelp to improve the accuracy of and/or prevent drift of the IMU.

As noted, the aerial vehicle 230 may include the power system 234. Thepower system 234 could take various different forms in various differentembodiments. For example, the power system 234 may include one or morebatteries for providing power to the aerial vehicle 230. In someimplementations, the one or more batteries may be rechargeable and eachbattery may be recharged via a wired connection between the battery anda power supply and/or via a wireless charging system, such as aninductive charging system that applies an external time-varying magneticfield to an internal battery and/or charging system that uses energycollected from one or more solar panels.

As another example, the power system 234 may include one or more motorsor engines for providing power to the aerial vehicle 230. In someimplementations, the one or more motors or engines may be powered by afuel, such as a hydrocarbon-based fuel. And in such implementations, thefuel could be stored on the aerial vehicle 230 and delivered to the oneor more motors or engines via one or more fluid conduits, such aspiping. In some implementations, the power system 234 may be implementedin whole or in part on the ground station 210.

As noted, the aerial vehicle 230 may include the powergeneration/conversion components 236. The power generation/conversioncomponents 326 could take various different forms in various differentembodiments. For example, the power generation/conversion components 236may include one or more generators, such as high-speed, direct-drivegenerators. With this arrangement, the one or more generators may bedriven by one or more rotors, such as the rotors 134A-D. And in at leastone such example, the one or more generators may operate at full ratedpower wind speeds of 11.5 meters per second at a capacity factor whichmay exceed 60 percent, and the one or more generators may generateelectrical power from 40 kilowatts to 600 megawatts.

Moreover, as noted, the aerial vehicle 230 may include a communicationsystem 238. The communication system 238 may take the form of or besimilar in form to the communication system 218. The aerial vehicle 230may communicate with the ground station 210, other aerial vehicles,and/or other entities (e.g., a command center) via the communicationsystem 238.

In some implementations, the aerial vehicle 230 may be configured tofunction as a “hot spot”; or in other words, as a gateway or proxybetween a remote support device (e.g., the ground station 210, thetether 220, other aerial vehicles) and one or more data networks, suchas cellular network and/or the Internet. Configured as such, the aerialvehicle 230 may facilitate data communications that the remote supportdevice would otherwise be unable to perform by itself.

For example, the aerial vehicle 230 may provide a WiFi connection to theremote device, and serve as a proxy or gateway to a cellular serviceprovider's data network, which the aerial vehicle 230 might connect tounder an LTE or a 3G protocol, for instance. The aerial vehicle 230could also serve as a proxy or gateway to other aerial vehicles or acommand station, which the remote device might not be able to otherwiseaccess.

As noted, the aerial vehicle 230 may include the one or more processors242, the program instructions 244, and the data storage 246. The one ormore processors 242 can be configured to execute computer-readableprogram instructions 246 that are stored in the data storage 244 and areexecutable to provide at least part of the functionality describedherein. The one or more processors 242 may take the form of or besimilar in form to the one or more processors 212, the data storage 244may take the form of or be similar in form to the data storage 214, andthe program instructions 246 may take the form of or be similar in formto the program instructions 216.

Moreover, as noted, the aerial vehicle 230 may include the controlsystem 248. In some implementations, the control system 248 may beconfigured to perform one or more functions described herein. Thecontrol system 248 may be implemented with mechanical systems and/orwith hardware, firmware, and/or software. As one example, the controlsystem 248 may take the form of program instructions stored on anon-transitory computer readable medium and a processor that executesthe instructions. The control system 248 may be implemented in whole orin part on the aerial vehicle 230 and/or at least one entity remotelylocated from the aerial vehicle 230, such as the ground station 210.Generally, the manner in which the control system 248 is implemented mayvary, depending upon the particular application.

While the aerial vehicle 230 has been described above, it should beunderstood that the methods and systems described herein could involveany suitable aerial vehicle that is connected to a tether, such as thetether 230 and/or the tether 120.

C. Illustrative Components of a Wiring Harness and Wing

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of a wing 300 with a wiringharness 310, according to an example embodiment. The wing 300 may takethe form of or be similar to a wing of an aerial vehicle such as theaerial vehicle 130 or 230.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wing 300 may comprise a leading edge 322, anupper end 323, a trailing edge 324, a lower end 325, an inner skin 326,an outer skin 327, and a plurality of spars 328. A pocket 329 may becarved into the wing at or near the lower end 325.

The leading edge 322 is the part of the wing 300 that first contacts thewind. The wind travels along the surface of the wing 300, and leaves atthe trailing edge 324.

The outer skin 327 is a layer of material that may cover the wing 300 toform an exterior surface of the wing 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the outerskin 327 is formed over the pocket 329 as well, so as to provide acontinuous layer of the outer skin 327 on the wing 300. In some exampleembodiments, the outer skin 327 may comprise a composite, such asfiberglass, carbon fiber, and/or resin. Such a material allows forstraight compression of the inner skin 326 without stressing the core ofthe wing 300, which does not handle stress well. By forming an exteriorsurface of the wing, the outer skin 327 is generally formed from amaterial that maintains the integrity of the wing 300, e.g., isresistant to corrosion and the like, when subjected to the environment.

The inner skin 326 may comprise a layer of material formed within aninterior of the wing adjacent the outer skin 327. As shown in thecross-sectional view of FIG. 3, in an example embodiment, the inner skin326 may continue around the interior of the wing 300 at the location ofthe pocket 329, so as to provide a continuous layer of the inner skin326 beneath the outer skin 327 around the wing 300. Thus, the inner skin326 may be formed adjacent to and around the portion of the outer skin327 at the pocket.

In this example embodiment, the inner skin 326 is offset at the locationof the pocket 329 from the other portions inner skin 326 that are notabove the pocket 329 and thus some of the inner skin 326 is formed at asegment of the pocket 329 where the portion of the core of the wing hasremoved. The inner skin 326 may be reinforced with overlaps 321 at thepoints of offset to reduce load within the two layers of skin. Thepoints of offset may include the edges 332 of the pocket 329. Providinga continuous layer of the inner skin 326 preserves buckling resistanceand linear strength of the segment comprising the pocket. In someexample embodiments, the inner skin 326 may comprise a foam, such asexpanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP). Othermaterials for the inner skin may also be envisioned.

The spars 328 provide structural support to the wing 300, carrying theweight of the wing. The spars 328 may be formed of a solid material. Insome example embodiments, the spars 328 may comprise a foam core. Sparcaps 331 shaped in an “L” or “T” may be welded or riveted to the top andbottom of each spar 328 to prevent buckling under applied loads.

The pocket 329 comprises a space offset inwards from the exterior of thewing 300 at or near the lower end 325 of the wing. At least a portion ofthe core may be removed to form the pocket 329. The pocket 329 is sizedand shaped to receive a wiring harness, which will be described infurther detail below. In some example embodiments, the pocket 329 may bedescribed as comprising a recessed channel in the wing 300. The pocket329 may comprise a lip 333 at its edges 332 to hold a correspondingspring 313 of the wiring harness 310. The pocket 329 may be formedduring a molding process to manufacture the wing 300. In some exampleembodiments, the pocket 329 may comprise a generally trapezoidal shapeor a rectangular shape. Other shapes for the pocket may also beenvisioned; the shape of the pocket may be designed to correspond withand receive the shape of the wiring harness 310.

Although the pocket 329 may be formed at any location on the exterior ofthe wing 300, forming the pocket 329 at or near the lower end 325 of thewing 300 may be advantageous because the lower end 325 is a point of lowstress on the inner and outer skins 326, 327. The stress concentrationsin the wing surface are generally the lowest over a survey of loads atthe lower end 325. The lower end 325 is a point of low stress relativeto other locations on the wing 300 as it is near the neutral axis onflapwise bending as well as the neutral axis on chordwise bending. Incontrast, the upper end 323 is where lift is generally generated, andthe upper end 323 thus experiences bending along both axes (e.g., Z andY axes).

A cover 340 may be affixed to the outer skin 327. In the closedposition, the cover 340 may span over or across the pocket 329 so as tocover the pocket and thus protect contents (e.g., the wiring harness310) within the pocket 329. In some embodiments, the cover 340 is ahatch cover bonded over at least a portion of the wing 300 that mayclose across the pocket 329 to cover the wiring harness 310 within thepocket 329. Such a cover may help moisture from reaching the wiringharness 310, for example. In some example embodiments, however, no covermay be present. For example, if the wiring harness 310 is impervious tomoisture absorption, there may be no need for a cover to protect thewiring harness from moisture in the environment.

The wiring harness 310 may be sized and shaped to fit within the pocket329, as discussed above, and may be affixed to a portion of the outerskin 327 lining the pocket 329. In some example embodiments, the wiringharness 310 is removably attachable to the outer skin 327. The wiringharness 310 may include one or more springs 313 comprising a curvedshape. The springs 313 may be present on a side of the wiring harness310, and may be compressible to sit on top of the lip 333 of the pocket329 to hold the wiring harness 310 in place within the pocket 329. Insome example embodiments, the wiring harness 310 may comprise wiringsuch as power conductors 312 and/or fiber and low voltage connections314. The wiring harness may also comprise connectors and plugs forattachment to pylons, as will be discussed in further detail below.

The wiring harness 310 as shown in FIG. 3 comprises a single piece.However, in some example embodiments, the wiring harness 310 maycomprise two pieces (e.g., one piece may be for high voltage connectionsand a second piece may be for LV and communications). In an embodimentwherein the wiring harness comprises two pieces, a cover comprising aspring such as the springs 313 may snap or otherwise fit on top of thetwo pieces. Such a cover may comprise a molded cover. In other exampleembodiments, instead of a cover, a tape (e.g., a stretch formed tape ora flat tape) or a shroud other than a molded cover that encapsulates andunitizes the wiring harness pieces may be used.

In some example embodiments, the wiring harness 310 may be made fromrubber using an injection molding process. During such an injectionmolding process, wiring and other connections may be molded into thewiring harness 310, thus preventing any flying leads from being formedon the harness. In some example embodiments, the wiring harness 310 maybe co-molded with the wing 300 such that it is an integral part of andis not removable from the wing 300. In other example embodiments, thewiring harness 310 may be formed separately from the wing 300, allowingfor the wiring harness 310 to then be removable from the wing 300. Theremovability of the wiring harness 310 may provide for a substitutionwith another wiring harness should the currently attached wiring harnessshow signs of fatigue in one or more of the wires or connections.Substituting a faulty wiring harness from a wing is likely cheaper thansubstituting an entire wing.

In other example embodiments, the wiring harness may be made using anextrusion process, wherein the connections may be spliced onto thewiring harness.

As discussed above, AWTs have both wiring requirements and operate in ahigh fatigue environment. Holes are typically formed through layers inthe wing to provide for wiring to pass therethrough. Such holes allowfor moisture to collect and sit. In a high heat environment where thewing operates like a turbine blade, moisture collection from such holesweakens the composite material of the wing, which can result in fatiguein the area surrounding the hole. Such fatigue may compromise theintegrity and lifespan of the wing. The wing 300 and wiring harness 310of FIG. 3 provide sufficient wiring and connections to power componentsassociated with the wing 300, all the while keeping the outer skin 327continuous and without holes.

FIG. 4a depicts a detailed view of the cross-section of the wiringharness 310 of FIG. 3, according to an example embodiment. As shown inFIG. 4a , the wiring harness 310 may include a rubber body 311 andwiring. The wiring may comprise in one example embodiment one or morepower conductors 312 surrounded by wire insulation 313, and one or morefiber-optic lines 314 that may also be surrounded by wire insulation315. The term fiber-optic line as used herein may be used to describe afiber-optic line alone, or may comprise a fiber-optic line surrounded byinsulation (such as wire insulation 315, for example) or a number ofother protective layers. Fiber-optic lines may comprise strands of glassor plastic fibers that function as a waveguide to transmit light betweenthe two ends of the fiber. The wire insulations 313 and 315 may vary inthickness, and a thinner layer may be applied in some exampleembodiments as the wiring harness within which the power conductors 312and the fiber-optic lines 314 are embedded also provides someprotection. Although four conductors 312 and four fiber-optic lines 314are shown in FIG. 4a , more or less of each may be formed as part of thewiring harness 310. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4a , all wiring runsthrough one or two cables. The cables may comprise a flat ribbon cable.If two cables are used for the wiring harness 310, one cable maycomprise an HV cable and the other cable may comprise an LV cable, in anexample embodiment. The wiring may be built with a shallow pitch angleof a high elongation material, such as stranded copper or aluminummaterial to allow for stretch, or may be inserted into the wiring jacketin a non-straight path, for example, a pre-bent zigzag form. As the wingelongates, the wiring may then elongate.

FIG. 4b depicts a junction 410 that may be present in the wiring harness310 of FIG. 3, according to an example embodiment. Wiring 420 is shownextending through the harness 310. The wiring 420 may comprise powerconductors and fiber-optic lines that may take the form as or be similarto the power conductors 312 and fiber-optic lines 314. The wiring mayfeed into a connector 430. The connector 430 may be made from a solderor crimp, in some example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4b , theconnector 430 may be made with right angle segments 422 of the wiring toprovide for strain relief local to the connector 430.

Such a junction 410 may be embedded in the wiring harness 310 to keepthe junction 410 isolated. Advantageously, such junctions 410 avoidhaving repeated wiring runs due to having all or a substantial number ofconnectors made at a particular location, such as at the center of thewing 300, for example.

FIGS. 4c-e depict views of a plug or connector configuration 450 thatmay be present in a wiring harness, such as the wiring harness 310 ofFIG. 3, according to an example embodiment. In the top view depicted inFIG. 4c , a connector 452 is present and is surrounded by an insulationlayer 456. The connector 452 may comprise an HV band plug in someexample embodiments, and may be configured to receive a pylon. A wire(shown in FIGS. 4d-e as wire 458) covered in insulation 459 feeds intothe connector 452.

The side view of the junction 450 is shown in FIG. 4d . As shown in FIG.4d , the insulation 459 may be stripped from the wire 458 over a segmentof the wire, exposing the segment of the wire 458 that feeds into theconnector 452.

FIG. 4e depicts a front view of the junction 450 at cross-section A-A ofFIG. 4 c, depicting the placement of the connector 452, the insulationlayer 456, and the wire 458. The insulation 459 around part of the wire458 is also shown.

The connector 452 may be soldered or crimped onto the wire 458 prior tomolding the wiring harness 310 in an embodiment in which the wiringharness 310 is injection molded. During the molding process, at least aportion of the connector 452 may be covered with a cap or filler toprevent overmolding the entire connector 452. The connector may bepre-treated to provide for a good bond with the molding material of thewiring harness 310. Thus, a connector may be built into the wiringharness, which may be advantageous. By recessing the majority of theconnector 452 into the wiring harness 310, the connector 452 is morerobust and hardened, which may reduce the need to replace a wiringharness due to mechanical manipulation of the connector during anattachment process, for example.

D. Systems for Providing Power

FIG. 5 depicts an example system 500 for providing power to a component.The system 500 includes a wing 510 with a wiring harness 520 comprisingat least one plug 530, wherein the plug 530 is attached via a pylon 540to a component 550.

The wing 510 may be part of an aerial vehicle such as the aerial vehicle130 or 230. The wing 510 may be the main wing of the aerial vehicle, andmay take the form of or be similar in form as the wing 300 of FIG. 3,and may include a pocket 512 for insertion of the wiring harness 520.

In the example embodiment of FIG. 5, the plug or connector 530 isconfigured for high voltage connections and applications. However, thesame or a similar connector configuration may be used for fiber-opticand other connections requiring less voltage. The connector 530 may bebuilt into and may thus be integral with the wiring harness 520, asdescribed in the example embodiment of FIGS. 4c -e.

The pylon 540 may comprise any of a number of structures used to mountequipment, such as component 550, for example, externally on an AWT. Thepylon 540 is configured to engage the connector 530. The pylon 540 maycomprise a Fowler pylon in some example embodiments, that holds thetrailing edge flaps of the main wing. In other example embodiments, thepylon 540 may comprise a motor pylon to which motors and propellers mayattach. The pylon 540 may bolt onto the wing 510. The wiring harness 520may connect power and communications for the pylon 540.

The component 550 may comprise any of a number of components to beattached to and powered by the wing, and as previously noted may beattachable to the pylon 540. The component may comprise a flange withbolts on or around the flange which attach to the wing 510.

The system of FIG. 5 illustrates another advantage to embedding theconnector 530 in the wiring harness 520 during the molding process: bydoing so, the connector 530 can be placed in a position on the wiringharness 520 with precision. The ability to precisely mold the connector530 into the wiring harness 520 allows for the electrical connection tobe made as the mechanical connection is made, without a two-stepinstallation process. In some example embodiments, a mechanicalalignment other than the electrical connector may be used to locate themechanical bolt holes for attachment. In other example embodiments, theelectrical connection may serve to locate the mechanical bolt holes. Thepylon 540 (attached to the connector 530) may be placed over the wing510 where bolts will go into the wing 510 as well. Because concurrentmechanical and electrical connections can be made, maintenance failurecases, such as those in which mechanical or electrical connections aremade, but not both, may be avoided.

E. Method for Manufacturing a Wiring Harness

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600, according to an exampleembodiment. The method 600 may be used to manufacture a wiring harness.

As shown by block 602, the method 600 involves stripping an insulatinglayer from a segment of one or more wires. The wires may include powerconductors and fiber-optic lines that may take the form as or be similarto the power conductors 312 and fiber-optic lines 314.

At block 604, the method 600 involves attaching the stripped segment ofthe one or more wires to a connector. The connector may take the form ofor be similar in form to the connector 452. The attachment of thestripped segment may be performed such as described and shown withreference to FIGS. 4c -e.

At block 606, the method 600 involves forming a protective layer over aportion of the connector. The protective layer may comprise a cover suchas a cap or filler. The connector may be pre-treated to provide for agood bond with the molding material of the wiring harness.

At block 608, the method 600 involves molding a harness body around theone or more wires and the connector. The protective layer may preventovermolding the entire connector during the molding process.

The method 600 further involves removing the protective layer to leavethe portion of the connector exposed, at block 610. The exposedconnector may receive a pylon or a component.

III. Conclusion

The particular arrangements shown in the Figures should not be viewed aslimiting. It should be understood that other embodiments may includemore or less of each element shown in a given Figure. Further, some ofthe illustrated elements may be combined or omitted. Yet further, anexemplary embodiment may include elements that are not illustrated inthe Figures.

Additionally, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosedherein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilledin the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are forpurposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with thetrue scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. Otherembodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presentedherein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in thefigures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designedin a wide variety of different configurations, all of which arecontemplated herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing a wiringharness, comprising: stripping an insulating layer from a segment of oneor more wires; attaching the stripped segment of the one or more wiresto a connector; forming a protective layer over a portion of theconnector; molding a harness body around the one or more wires and theconnector; and removing the protective layer to leave the portion of theconnector exposed.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching thestripped segment to the connector comprises soldering the strippedsegment to the connector.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein attachingthe stripped segment to the connector comprises crimping the strippedsegment to the connector.